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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rule · press · bay · key · field · calf · mark · staff

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. press — to push
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. press — newspapers
  9. key — the most important part
  10. staff — employees
  11. press — a publisher
  12. rule — a law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. staff — a stick
  18. field — a subject
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — in music
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com